Sunday, November 20, 2005

Reporting from outside the US mainstream media

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is set to quit his ruling Likud party and run separately in next year's elections, Israeli army radio reports.Mr Sharon reportedly made the decision to leave the party he helped to found in 1973 after lengthy talks with aides.Earlier, the moderate Labour party under new leader Amir Peretz voted to leave Mr Sharon's coalition.The BBC's James Reynolds says there has been no word from Mr Sharon, but it is significant there has been no denial.The 77-year-old prime minister is expected to make an announcement on Monday, Israeli media reports.

A Sharon aide met Sunday with a senior political figure from one of the factions. "Come with us," the aide said. "We are on the verge of making history. You can't miss this opportunity." The figure declined the offer for the obvious reason - what spot on the list would he receive in the Arik Party. Sixth or seventh is already no-man's land. If this figure runs for the Knesset in his current home, he would have a better chance of finishing higher on his party list, enabling him to serve the State of Israel in the next coalition. Without favors from Arik. Without begging Omri to put in a good word to his dad.Sharon's associates continued to insist Sunday that he has yet to decide while in the same breath stepped up preparations for takeoff. The weekly cabinet session on Sunday resembled the characteristic ending to an episode of "Benny Hill", when the frame moves into fast-forward and all the characters run in circles after one another.Everyone exchanged whispers with one another in open circles and closed circles. Ehud Olmert, Sharon's guy, attracted the most attention while conversing with Ministers Tzipi Livni and Meir Sheetrit. Everything was out in the open, yet, at the same time, secret and ambiguous.Sharon met Sunday morning with the heads of the ultra-Orthodox Knesset factions. United Torah Judaism MKs Moshe Gafni and Avraham Ravitz came to Sharon armed with the opinion of Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman. He shouldn't quit, the rabbi said, it will not be good for him.

London has asked Moscow to explain why it barred a British lawyer from entering Russia to observe the trial of a journalist who published an article by a Chechen rebel leader, the British Embassy said on Friday.Human rights groups said on Tuesday that Bill Bowring had been detained at Sheremetyevo airport, questioned for four hours and finally refused entry despite having a valid Russian visa."We have concerns and we are quite surprised. We have taken up our concerns with the [Foreign Ministry] at a high level," said Alan Holmes, an embassy spokesman. "This type of event is extremely rare in our experience."

Pru e-mails to note The Socialist Worker's "Why France is in revolt" by Jim Wolfreys with photographs by Jess Hurd:

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.